Cattle-guard.



WILLIAM E. NELSON, OF DE SOTO, MISSISSIPEI.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Application filed December 12, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, VILLIAM E. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Soto, in the county of Clark and Ctate of Mississippi, have invented new and useful improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cattle guards for railroads and more particularly to a guard of this character which comprises a plurality of plates held at an angle and secured between the rails and on each outer side thereof.

The object of this invention is tof provide a guard that will prevent an insecure footing for animals attempting to cross or to cause them pain and discourage the attempt.

The advantages of this invention are that it will prevent cattle from crossing without injuring them, the complete guard is made up of sections comprising interchangeable side bars and plates bolted together allowing spare parts to be kept in stock so that in case of damage to the guard, such as by tearing out by draft rigging or derailments, it can be easily replaced by using the parts not damaged and replacing the others from stock thus saving a good deal of waste, and furthermore there are no pockets for water or other foreign matter to lodge and cause disintegration.

While the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon an accompanying sheet of drawing it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a top view of this improved cattle guard in place, Fig. Q is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one section of the guard, Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly broken away of one of the side bars.

lt is preferable to construct this improved cattle guard in four longitudinal sections, two being secured between the rails and one on each outer side. Each section is constructed alike and comprises vertical longitudinal side bars or plates 1, preferably of cast-iron, or similar construction and adapted to be secured in place by integral lugs 2 extending at right angles from each end of theJ bar which may be fastened to the cross ties by ordinary railroad spikes. Each bar 1 is provided at the center with a vertical slot 3 and on each side with a plurality of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1d, 1914.

Serial No. 806,235. 4

equidistant angular slots l. These slots are at an angle of 450 to the horizontal and arranged with the top of one slot overlying the bottom of the next preceding one and oppositely disposed on each side of the center slot 3. The slots receive and support transverse plates 5, preferably of wrought-iron, and present the top edge of the plates to the direction of approach on each side of the center of the guard. The top edges of the plates 5 may be saw-toothed or not as desired. The top of each side bar 1 is tapered to about one-half of its thickness and the tapered portion provided with a saw-toothed edge. The side bars 1 of each section are held rigid together by a plurality of transverse bolts 7 readily adjustable.

llhe portion of the guard between the rails being in two sections, the plates are held by a more rigid support than if the guard was composed of a single section, and as the plates are readily interchangeable a damage to one section can be repaired at less expense as the plates are but half the distance between the rails. The saw-toothed top edges of the adjacent side bars present not only an insecure footing, but will cause pain to the foot of animals attempting to walk thereover. The side bars of the inner and outer sections adjacent each rail present a saw-toothed top edge which will in a like manner discourage an animal from attempting to cross the guard by walking the rail. By this construction the guard can be quickly secured in place by driving the spikes through the lugs 2 and taking up on the transverse bolts 7 after inserting the transverse plates 5 and the operation is so simple that an ordinary laborer can readily place the guard wherever needed. As the plates are interchangeable, should some of the plates at either end become damaged they can easily be replaced by vplates near the center, without dismantling the guard, until new plates from stock can be obtained.

What l claim is:

A cattle guard for railroads comprising four interchangeable sections arranged two between the rails and one on the outer side of each rail, each section comprising vertical side plates having a lug on each end for attachment to the cross ties, the top of each side plate being beveled and having a vertical saw-toothed edge and the body of each side bar having a vertical slot at the center Copies of this patent may be obtainedl for five ee and a plurality of corresponding angular` jacent side slots oppositely disposed on each side of the rails held i central slot, a plurality of interchangeable transverse plates supported in the corresponding slots, and a plurality of transverse bolts Witnesses: passing through the bodies of the bars on I. L. HUNTER, each section and secured thereto, the ad- W. B. RALEY.

plates of the sections between the n Contact With the teeth of their edges in register.

WILL E. NELSON.

nts each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenw. Washington, D. C. 

